Staple



May 2v3, 1933. c, B. GooDsTElN 1,910,688

STAPLE Filed Aug. 5, 1931 /9 @fa fw/f i@ Y/w TOR Patented May 23, 1933 UITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE CHARLES B. GODSTEIN, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOE T0 BELLA GOODSTEIN,

0F NEW YORK, N. Y. Y'

STABLE Application led August 3, 1931. Serial No. 554,814.

The present application is a continuation in part of my application filed January 19, 1929, Serial No. 333,701.

The present invention relates to staples for Bf securing together sheets of paper, cardboard, fabrics and various other materials. It also relates to staples adapted to be used in tacking machines for attaching tags, labels, and other articles to supports such as wood packin cases, freight car doors and the like.

taples have been widely used for securing papers together and also for securing various kinds of materials, and there are various machines on the market for driving and apply- 16j ingr the same. As far as I am aware such ma- P chines are divided into two general classes;

those of one class having in addition to 4means for driving the staples, a lower member or anvil with which the driving plunger co-op- 20 crates, the anvil serving to turn or clench the staples after they have passed through the y material which is being stapled.

Another class of machine is that in which the driving means is employed without a base or anvil and in these machines staples have been driven straight into the material and have not been clenched. This latter type of machine, commonly called a tag machine, is

generally used for attaching tags onto boxes,

freight car doors, etc., for tacking shade materials onto shade rollers, and for various other uses where the staple does not have to be clenched.

With the first type of machine mentioned it is not possible to apply staples to a closed box because it is not possible to get the anvil inside the box to complete the clenching operation. In the se'cond type vof machine the prongs of the staples cannot be clenched. The object of my invention is to provide a staple which may be driven through the material and be clenched to a slight degree or completely clenched while passing through .the material and by operations carried on entirely from one side of the material which is being stapled. In other words, I am enabled to clench the staples partially or completely with a machine without the use of an opposinmember or anvil. I

y employing the present invention 1t 1s staple is accomplished `without any anvil or lrther instrumentality on the interior of the The staple forming the subject of the present application is so formed that when it is driven under the control of the devices disposed on one side of the material which is being stapled, the prongs of the staple are comelled not only to pass through the material but to bend in such manner as to cause the ends to be clenched either within the material. or on the opposite side from that on which the staple isv applied. One advantage of the present invention is that boxes and packages may be rapidly stapled after the contents have been packed therein and they have been closed.

The'present form of staple forms a more dependable and a stronger means for retaining boxes and packages in closed condition for shipment Athan the ordinary adhesive tape now in general use. In addition, the present staple serves more or less as a seal because it cannot be removed from a container Without showing marks indicating that the container or package has been tampered with, because once the staple has been driven into or through the material and clenched access cannot be had to the interior of the container to unclench the staple without showing that the staple has been tampered with. Other objects will be set forth in the following detailed description of my invention.

In the drawing forming part of this application,

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing parts of a device for driving the staples,

Figure 2 is a similar View of the device together with a staple in the operation of being driven,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the staple partly driven,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the staple fully driven and clenched,

f Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a strip of staples such as may be fed to the device shown in Figures l-to 4, inclusive,

Figure 6 is an elevation of a modlied form of staple showing the same on an enlarged scale Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the use of an anvil or resisting member which may be employed 1n drlving staples into soft material,

Figure 8 shows a stapleembodylng my 1nvention, as driven into a material and clenched within the material,

Figure 9 shows a somewhat dltl'erent type of staple than that of Figure 5, in the process of being driven through two sheets of material, y

Figure 10 shows the same staple when fully driven and clenched.

Figure 11 shows a somewhat diterent form of staple in the process of being driven,

Figure 12 shows the same type of staple driven and clenched,

Figure 13 shows parts of a modified form of device for driving a. staple, having dierent proportions than those shown in the preceding views, and

Figure 14 is a similar view of this device in the position at the end of the clenching operation.

I will first describe the tool land the type of staple shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive. The tool or machine shown in these views includes a ,member in the form of a tube or guide member 1 in which the plunger 2 is adapted to reciprocate vertically, for the purpose of driving the staple. The staples may be in the form of individual pieces fed in any suitable manner below the plunger, and for this any of the mechanisms used for feeding staples in staple driving machines may be used for this purpose. However, I prefer to attach the staples in the form of a strip, as shown in Figure 5, by such means as light solder or lacquer, so that they remain lightly attached to permit them to be fed as a strip in the driving machine and to permit an individual staple to be detached readily from the strip at the time of the driving operation. y

As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the individual staples, Whether attached in the form of a strip or in separate pieces, consists of a central portion 3 which is ultimately to rest against one surface of the material to be stapled; and on opposite sides of this central portion there are prongs which are arched upwardly, outwardly and downwardly in the form of arcs 4, and preferably the outer ends of these prongs are pointed as shown at 5 in order to more readily pierce the material into which the staples are driven. lln the form of the invention shown in Figures 2 to 5, the pointed ends 5 of the prongs extend slightly remesa below the plane of the under side of the intermediate ilat portion 3 of the staple.

One method of driving staples of the type here described is as follows: A staple is fed to a position below and in line with the plunger 2 so that the outer and arched portions 4 of the staple are guided by the wall of the tube 1 and are prevented by this wall from spreading laterally during the driving operation, in order that the staples will bend in the 1nanner which will cause them to be clenched. lf the staple is made of comparatively stili' stock this lateral guiding or restraining action is not necessary. In Figure 2 I have shown a staple in position and with the plunger' 1 pressing downwardly on the top or arched portions 4 of the prongs at the time of the initial pressure of the staple against the material. In Figures 2 to 4 the staple is being driven through two pieces of material (5, 7 superimposed and which may be the ilaps of a box or any other materials which are to be secured together.

As the plunger continues to press downwardly on the staple, the intermediate or flat portion 3 rests against the top of the sheet of material 6 and cannot move downwardly. The downward pressure of the plunger on the arched prongs of the staple causes the points 5 of the staple to pierce the sheets of material 6, 7, as shown in l `igure 3, the prongs moving on arcs of circles as they pass through the materials. When the plunger has been fully driven down to the position shown in Figure`4 the prongs of the staple will have been driven through the superimposed sheets 6, 7 and, due to the liattening of the staple at the top of the material, the prongs will have been caused to proceed through the materials.

The prongs pass through the materials in the form of curved or arched members untilr the entire top of the staple is flattened out as shown in Figure 4. By this time the prongs will be passed through both sheets and will be clenched at the under side of the material 7. lt will be noted that the entire driving operation has been carried on from one side of the materials which were stapled, to wit, the top in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

lln Figure 7 I have shown a thin anvil member 8 which can be projected under the flat portion 3 of the staple during the initial driving operation where the material to be stapled is too soft to resist the pressure of this portion of the staple against the material. However, in most cases this anvil will not be necessary. Where it is used it will be withdrawn from below the staple just before the driving operation is completed.

In Figure 8 l have shown a modified form of staple which can be used very conveniently for securing tags and where it is desired to have the staple clenched slightly and within the material to which it is applied.

los

In this form of staple, before the staple is driven, there is a flat intermediate portion 9 from which extend upwardly at opposite ends the angular portions 10 forming parts of the prongs and from thepoint 11 the prongs extend outwardly in arcuate shape as shown at 12. This type of staple may be driven in a manner similar to that shown in Figures 2 to 4, in which case the portions 10 will be flattened down against the material and the arched portions l12 will be pressed into the material. This `form of staple is preferably formed with the arcuate portions 12 with centers'of curvature at the points 13 where the upwardly extending members 10 unite with the flat portion 9 of the staple. In this case the mere straightening out of the portions 10 into the plane of the intermediate portion 9 will cause the arcuate members to move in their own arcs into the material 14.

In Figure 6 I have shown a similar type of staple to that shown in Figure 8 and I have shown indentations 15 at the points where the portions 10 divert from the intermediate portion 9 for the purpose of weakening the staple at these two points for the purpose of facilitating the stra.ghtening out of the portions 10. 1n other respects the staple is the same as shown in Figure 8.

In Figures 9 and 10 I have shown the staple in the same form as that shown in Figure 8 but applied to two superimposed layers of material 16, 17. In Figure 9 it will be seen that the staple consists of the intermediate portion 18 which is fiat or horizontal, together with the angularly and upwardly extending portions 19 forming parts of the prongs, and with the arcuate portions 20 extending outwardly and downwardly from the portions 19. In this form the bottom ends of the prongs extend below the plane of the intermediate portion 18 so that when thestaple is initially pressed against the superimposed materials 16, 17, the prongs will make an initial movement into the top material 16 before the bending of the staple takes place. This enables the prongs to obtain a hold or grip on the material and it will prevent them from spreading while they are being driven and clenched.

Figure l0 shows the same type of staple at the completion of the driving operation.

In Figures 11 and 12 I have shown a slightly different form of staple in which there is no flat intermediate portion but the staple consists of the two V shaped portions 21 the meeting point 22 of which is adapted to rest against the sheet of material 23. The two arcuate ends 24 of the prongs are preferably formed on arcs having their centers at the point 22. When pressure is brought by the driving plunger against thetops 25 of the prongs, the two angulanportions 21 are fiattened out as shown in Figure 12 and the arcuate portions 24 pass through the materials 23,

26, in arcuate paths, so that the prongs pass entirely through the superimposed materials and are clenched underneath.

In Figures 13 and 14 I have shown a slightly different form of staple, together with a device for driving the same. In this form of staple there isa centr l, fiat portion 27 from which extend upwardly the two portions 28 at such steep angles or so nearly vertical that merely an initial downward pressure of the plunger would not serve to drive the staple. This form of staple also has the arcuate portions 29 formed on arcs of which the points 30 are the centers. Instead of a simple direct acting plunger vthere are pivotal members 31 mounted to slide slightly on the pins 32 and also to rock thereon. These members have fingers 33 adapted to engage the inner sides of the upwardly extending portions 28 of the staple. They also have rack teeth 34 which mesh with and are Operated by the rack teeth y35 on opposite sides of the plunger 36, Abutment members 37 may be employed on the stapling machine to lie adjacent the arcuate portions 29 of the staple to prevent these from spreading during the driving operations.

The driving device approaches the staple first in the manner shown in Figure 13 so that the fingers 33 engage the inner surfaces of the portions 29. -As the plunger 36 continues downwardly the rockingv members 31 first move downwardly until the upper edges of the slots 38 rest on the pins 32 which is sufiicient movement to bring the fingers 33 downwardly between the portions 28 of the staple. Continued downward movement of the plunger causes the rocking members 31 to rock in op osite directions on their pins 32 so that the ngers 33 spread laterally away from each' other and press the portions 28 of the staple down flat against the upper material 37.

While this operation is being performed the arched portions 29 of the prongs are being forced through the sheets of material to the position shown in Figure 14. This type of staple and driving device permits the arched portions 29 to be formed of a greater length so that they may be passed through thicker materials and be clenched more.

In all forms of the invention it will be observed that I have provided a staple which is initially formed of such shape that by applying pressure to the top of the staple and exclusively from one side of the material which is being stapled,X the prongs are driven into the material or through it and clenched, without the use of an anvil at the opposite side of the material. This is accomplished by so making the staple that the application of pressure to the top to flatten a portion of it will cause the prongs to pierce the material and to clench.

llO

The term intermediate portion will be used in the following claims to refer to the part which rests against the material being stapled at the commencement of the driving operation, Whether this portion be of limited area or a mere line, asin Figure. 11, as well as if it be of appreciable width as in Figure 8 and others.

Having described my invention, what lt claim is:

1. A staple comprising an intermediate portion adapted to rest against the material to which the staple is to be applied, prong members extending from opposite sides of said intermediate portion and extending first upwardly from the said intermediate portion and thence downwardly, said .downwardly extending portions of said prong members being arched.

2. A staple comprising an intermediate portion adapted to rest against the material to which the staple is to be applied, prong members extending upwardly from opposite sides of said intermediate portion and thence downwardly in arched shape, the free ends of said prongs terminating in a plane adjacent the plane of said intermediate portion.

3. A staple comprising a flat, intermediate portion, prong members extending from opposite sides of said intermediate portion, first upwardly and thence downwardly, said downwardly extending portions being arched.

4. A staple comprising an intermediate portion adapted to rest against the material to which the staple is to be applied, and prong members extending from opposite sides of said intermediate portion in the form of circular arcs.

5. A staple comprising a plane, intermediate portion, prong members extending from opposite sides of said intermediate portion and curved upwardly, outwardly and thence downwardl)Y therefrom, said prongs having pointed ends terminating in a horizontal plane adjacent the plane of said intermediate portion.

6. A staple comprising an intermediate portion, straight portions extending upwardly at opposite sides of said intermediate portion, and arched prongs extending downwardly from the tops of said upwardly extending portions.

7. A staple comprising an intermediate portion, .straight portions extending upwardly at opposite sides of said intermediate portion, and prongs extending downwardly' from the tops of said upwardly extending portions, said prongs being arched with centers of curvature at the lower ends of said upwardly extending portions.

8. A staple comprising an intermediate portion adapted to rest against the material being stapled, portions extending upwardly from opposite sides of said intermediate por tion, and arched prongs extending down- CHAS. B. GOODSTEIN. 

